ai

AI tools launched for Citigroup employees in eight countries

Citigroup has launched new AI tools to enhance workplace efficiency for 140,000 employees across eight countries. The tools, named Citi Assist and Citi Stylus, aim to simplify tasks such as navigating internal policies and analysing multiple documents. Initially available in countries including the US, UK, and India, the tools will be gradually introduced in more markets.

Citi Assist functions like a highly knowledgeable colleague, guiding users through HR, compliance, finance, and risk procedures. Citi Stylus, on the other hand, allows employees to summarise, compare, or search through multiple documents simultaneously, improving productivity and workflow.

Tim Ryan, Citigroup’s Head of Technology and Business Enablement, explained that staff can propose new uses for the tools, ensuring they evolve alongside employees’ needs. While separate from the bank’s broader efforts to enhance data management, the AI tools are expected to contribute to overall operational improvement.

Chief Technology Officer David Griffiths emphasised that the AI rollout aligns with Citigroup’s commitment to innovation and efficiency in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.

Axiado aims to block cyberattacks with hardware innovation

With organisations facing an average of 1,300 cyberattacks per week, Axiado is stepping up with a novel defence: a specialised security chip designed to protect digital infrastructure. Founded in 2017, the Silicon Valley-based startup recently secured $60M in Series C funding led by Maverick Silicon, with participation from Samsung Catalyst Fund and other investors. This brings Axiado’s total funding to $140M.

Axiado’s chip defends against boot-level and runtime security threats, ensuring the integrity of devices from data centres to 5G base stations. It uses root-of-trust technology to prevent hardware tampering and leverages AI-powered analytics to detect malicious data patterns. The company’s chip is positioned as a complement to existing software-based cybersecurity measures, acting as a last line of defence against sophisticated attacks.

The new funds will support Axiado’s go-to-market efforts and help transition its products into mass production by 2025. CEO Gopi Sirineni highlights the growing need for hardware-based security solutions, particularly as the stakes rise in the fight against cybercrime. With partnerships like the one with Jabil to develop server cybersecurity solutions, Axiado is set to expand its reach while competing with industry heavyweights and open-source projects such as Google’s OpenTitan.

Schneider Electric partners with Nvidia on AI data centre cooling systems

French electrical firm Schneider Electric has teamed up with Nvidia to develop cutting-edge cooling systems for AI-focused data centres. These designs will cater to Nvidia’s powerful AI servers, which feature 72 advanced chips and are set to debut next year.

The energy-intensive servers, consuming up to 132 kilowatts per rack, necessitate liquid cooling technology. Schneider‘s scalable solutions will support various configurations for cloud computing firms and data centre customers, enhancing adaptability and efficiency in AI infrastructure.

Schneider’s push into AI data centres follows a $3 billion deal with Compass Datacenters in 2023, underlining its commitment to innovative technologies. Nvidia‘s switch to liquid cooling has spurred significant developments in data centre construction and upgrades, driving collaboration with industry leaders.

Meta reports minimal AI impact on global misinformation

Meta Platforms has reported that generative AI had limited influence on misinformation campaigns across its platforms in 2023. According to Nick Clegg, Meta‘s president of global affairs, coordinated networks spreading propaganda struggled to gain traction on Facebook and Instagram, and AI-generated misinformation was promptly flagged or removed.

Clegg noted, however, that some of these operations have migrated to other platforms or standalone websites with fewer moderation systems. Meta dismantled around 20 covert influence campaigns this year. The company aims to refine content moderation while maintaining free expression.

Meta also reflected on its overly strict moderation during the COVID-19 pandemic, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing regret over certain decisions influenced by external pressure. Looking forward, Zuckerberg intends to engage actively in policy debates on AI under President-elect Donald Trump‘s administration, underscoring AI’s critical role in US technological leadership.

Legal challenges mount over Microsoft’s Cloud practices

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has postponed the release of provisional findings from its cloud computing investigation to January 2025, according to an updated timeline. Despite this delay, the final report remains on schedule for July 2025. The investigation targets potential anti-competitive practices in a market heavily influenced by Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

This inquiry follows concerns raised by the UK media regulator Ofcom, which highlighted issues such as restrictive data transfer fees and volume discounts that might prevent customers from switching providers or using multiple suppliers. Microsoft’s software licensing terms, especially concerning its Windows Server and Microsoft 365 products, are also under scrutiny for potentially disadvantaging competitors.

Adding to Microsoft’s challenges, a legal claim filed at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal accuses the company of imposing punitive licensing policies that could cost British businesses over £1B in damages. Meanwhile, the US Federal Trade Commission is conducting a parallel antitrust investigation, broadening the global focus on the tech giant’s market practices.

The CMA’s findings and potential legal outcomes could reshape the dynamics of cloud computing, a vital sector for businesses and governments worldwide.

Salesforce’s AI tools drive growth

Salesforce shares soared to a record high of $368.7 on Wednesday, climbing 11% after surpassing quarterly sales estimates and offering an optimistic outlook for its AI-driven products. The company’s newly launched Agentforce platform, designed to autonomously handle tasks, has become a key driver of this growth, with Salesforce banking on its potential to transform enterprise operations.

In a post-earnings call, executives highlighted Agentforce’s initial success, noting 200 deals closed since its late October release. Analysts expressed confidence in its long-term potential, predicting significant gains by 2026. The positive results prompted at least 20 analysts to raise their price targets, with the new median estimate sitting at $380—indicating a further 15% potential upside.

Salesforce’s market valuation surged by over $35 billion, reaching $316.85 billion. Third-quarter revenue grew by 8% to $9.44 billion, surpassing expectations. The momentum also lifted other US cloud companies, including Oracle, ServiceNow, Datadog, and Snowflake, which posted gains of 3% to 4%.

The company now forecasts fiscal year 2025 revenue of $37.8 billion to $38 billion. Analysts remain optimistic about Salesforce’s strategic push into AI and the revival of enterprise spending, positioning the firm for continued success heading into 2026.

Open source (still) means innovations

There is no need to explain the importance of the global network innovation we enjoy today. Many lines have been written on the possibilities and the marvels the network delivers daily. After an initial couple of decades of admiration, the same thing happened with many other wonders of the world we witnessed throughout civilization. We took it for granted. We do not discuss its structure, backbone, and the incentive structure behind it. Unless it interferes with our daily life and freedom.

This is true for any network user, being a state actor, cloud computing company, or everyday end user. When we look at the backbone of the internet, almost everything is open source. What does this mean? Basic protocols and ways we connect over the internet are documented and open for everyone to observe, copy, and build upon. They are agreed upon as a set of transparent public instructions that are free of proprietary obligations. 

Industry and innovation 

To distinguish innovation from the industry (which might be important to go forward), we can introduce a simple correlation: The industry is an ecosystem that emerged on the need to make the invention more available. The vision of utility is in the industry, and the value of innovation is proven with every iteration of utility. Following this correlation, we can indeed say that the more transparent innovation, the greater its value (or we tend to give it such a position).

When we look at the internet industry, we observe that companies and strategies that followed openness have benefited massively from the invention. This system of benefits from the open source approach can work in depth for both the invention and the consequential industry. To name a couple of the greatest examples: Alphabet (Google, YouTube, or Maps), Linux (used to run almost the entire internet backbone infrastructure), Android (revolutionising the app market, levelling the entry field, and reducing the digital divide). All of them are open source, built on the open-source innovation of the internet.

Architecture, Building, Diagram, CAD Diagram

A closer look at resiliency

Let’s look at one example that may illustrate this precisely: bitcoin. It started as an open-source project and is still one of the most maintained public databases on the internet. Bitcoin brings back the idea of private money after 100 years of the nation’s monopoly on money. Although it is pointed out as a danger to the international financial system, there is no possible coordinated action by such entities to take down this system and/or ban it permanently. Why? The simple answer is in the trade-off. 

Stopping bitcoin (or any digital information online) is not impossible per se but would require massive resources. This would require full control of all communication channels towards the internet, including banning satellites from orbiting above your geolocation and persistent efforts to ensure no one is breaching the ban. But in 2024, such a ban would create a tear in the fabric of society. Societal consequences would widely overcome the possible benefits.

Instead, as long as it is neutral, bitcoin does not present a threat but rather an opportunity for all. All other competitors built on bitcoin principles are not the same for that particular reason: they are not open source and transparent. No Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), privately issued stablecoin, or any of the thousand cryptocurrency impersonators have proven to hold any of the bitcoin’s value. Following the earlier distinction, innovation is open source, but the industry around it is not so much.

Open source is the right way, not the easy one

Does the above mean that when an industry is not based on open source, it cannot make great discoveries and innovate further? No, not at all. Intellectual property is a large part of the portfolio of the biggest tech companies. For example, Apple’s IP revenues culminated in around USD 22.6 billion in research and development expenditures (in 2022) The proprietary industry moves the needle in the economy and creates wealth, while open source creates opportunities. We need both for a healthy future. All of our opportunities may not result in imminent wealth, but rather in inspiration to move forward rather than oppose the change. 

In simple terms, open source empowers the bottom-up approach to building for the future. It helps expand the base of possible contributors, and maybe most importantly, reduces the possibility of ending up in ‘knowledge slavery’. It can create a healthy, neutral, starting point. The one most will perceive as a chance rather than a threat. 

If all of you had one particular innovation in mind while reading all this, you are right!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a new frontier. AI is actually a bit more than just a technology, it is an agent. Anyhow, it is an invention, so chances are high it will follow the path we described above, enabling an entirely new industry of utility providers.

No need to be afraid

We hear all the (reasonable) concerns about AI development. Uncertainties on whether AI should be developed beyond human reach and concerns regarding AI in executive positions, all are based on fear of systems with no overview.  

In the past, the carriers of the open source (openness and transparency) approach were mostly in academia. Universities and other research institutions contributed the most to the open source approach. It is a bit different in the AI field. For that, companies are leading the way.  

The power to preserve common knowledge is still in the hands of states, and under the set of business and political circumstances, the private sector is also the biggest proponent of the open source approach. With the emergence of large language models and generative AI, the biggest open source initiatives came from Meta (LLaMa) and Alphabet (T5). They align with the incentive to statute open source as a standard for the future. We might be in an equilibrium moment in which both sides agree on the architecture for the future. Nations, international organisations, and the private sector should seize this opportunity. This new race toward more efficient technology of the future should evoke optimism, but there cannot be one without the bottom- up and open source approach to innovation. 

The open source approach is still the way forward for innovation. and can build neutral ground, or at least will not be perceived as a threat.

Read more of our ideas about the way forward in AI governance on the humAInism page. 

Louisiana to host Meta’s largest AI data centre

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, plans to invest $10 billion to construct a state-of-the-art AI data centre in Richland Parish, Louisiana. Once completed, it will be the largest data centre in Meta’s global portfolio, designed to manage the vast data needs of AI and digital infrastructure. The facility is set to begin construction in December and is expected to take until 2030 to complete.

The company is working with Entergy, a utility provider operating in Louisiana, to ensure the centre’s energy consumption is fully matched by renewable sources. Entergy already supports similar projects, including Amazon’s upcoming cloud services facility in Mississippi, and operates two nuclear power plants in Louisiana.

As AI computing drives a surge in energy demand among tech giants like Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft, companies are increasingly exploring nuclear power to supplement renewable energy. However, challenges such as an ageing reactor fleet, regulatory hurdles, and supply chain limitations for uranium fuel may slow the adoption of nuclear energy.

Meta recently sought proposals from nuclear power developers to support its AI and environmental goals, aiming for 1 to 4 gigawatts of new US nuclear capacity by the early 2030s. The Louisiana data centre is part of Meta’s broader strategy to integrate sustainability with cutting-edge AI technology.

Musk’s xAI plans major supercomputer expansion in Memphis

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is preparing to expand its Memphis-based supercomputer, Colossus, to accommodate over one million graphics processing units (GPUs). Currently housing 100,000 GPUs, Colossus plays a central role in training xAI’s chatbot, Grok, as the company accelerates efforts to rival OpenAI in the AI landscape.

Nvidia will supply the GPUs, while Dell and Super Micro are tasked with assembling the server infrastructure in Memphis, according to the Greater Memphis Chamber. The expansion highlights xAI’s commitment to AI innovation, as Musk intensifies competition with OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Recently, Musk escalated his legal battle with OpenAI, alleging monopolistic practices in the AI sector.

Concerns about environmental impact loom large with the supercomputer’s planned growth. Colossus’s massive energy demands have drawn scrutiny from environmental groups. The Southern Environmental Law Center urged Tennessee authorities to investigate whether xAI was using unpermitted gas turbines to power the facility.

The Memphis project underscores Musk’s ambitions to reshape the AI industry. With Colossus’s tenfold expansion, xAI positions itself as a formidable challenger in the rapidly evolving AI arms race.

Mystery of David Mayer and ChatGPT resolved

Social media buzzed over the weekend as ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot, mysteriously refused to generate the name ‘David Mayer.’ Users reported responses halting mid-sentence or error messages when attempting to input the name, sparking widespread speculation about Mayer’s identity and theories that he might have requested privacy through legal means.

OpenAI, the chatbot’s developer, attributed the issue to a system glitch. A spokesperson clarified, ‘One of our tools mistakenly flagged this name, which shouldn’t have happened. We’re working on a fix.’ The company has since resolved the glitch for ‘David Mayer,’ but other names continue to trigger errors.

Conspiracy theories emerged online, with some suggesting a link to David Mayer de Rothschild, who denied involvement, and others speculating connections to a deceased academic with ties to a security list. Experts noted the potential relevance of GDPR’s ‘right to be forgotten’ privacy rules, which allow individuals to request the removal of their data from digital platforms.

However, privacy specialists highlighted AI systems’ challenges in fully erasing personal data due to their reliance on massive datasets from public sources. While the incident has drawn attention to the complexities of AI data handling and privacy compliance, OpenAI remains tight-lipped on whether the glitch stemmed from a deletion request under GDPR guidelines. The situation underscores the tension between advancing AI capabilities and safeguarding individual privacy.